Two sailors were rescued on Thursday afternoon off Cap Norfeu in Roses, in the Girona area of Catalonia, after their yacht broke down during a severe tramuntana storm.
The seven-metre yacht suffered a broken foresail and drifted towards a cliff face, leaving it just metres from the rocks. Salvament Marítim said the alarm was raised at around 5.30pm by a French yacht sailing nearby, whose crew saw two people on the distressed vessel signalling for help.
The Maritime Rescue Centre in Barcelona activated the Salvamar Lyra rescue boat. The operation was made harder because the yacht’s crew could not be contacted, as they had neither a working radio nor a phone.
Rescue teams eventually found the vessel very close to the cliff. Both people on board were rescued safely and the Salvamar Lyra then towed the yacht to the port of Roses.
Salvament Marítim said the incident took place in strong maritime weather, with tramuntana winds of 35 knots and waves of up to four metres. The service also reminded sailors to check forecasts before setting out and to carry working communication equipment and emergency gear.
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